Piston packing



Nav. 24`, 1942. M, SMH y 2,303,237

PIsToN PACKING Filed April 17. 1941 8 l y Agana Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT ortica 2,303,237 PIs'roN PACKING Dallas M. Smith, Kirkwood, Mo., assignor to McQuay-Norris Manufacturing Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application April 17, 1941, Serial No. 388,922 4 claims. (c1. ats-.45)

.Mylnvention relatesto 'multiple piece piston packings and more particularly to piston packings adapted for use as oil control rings.

I A piston packing constructed according to. my invention may include one or more spiit lthin ring members in engagement with the cylinder wall and formed of ribbon material. The members are maintainedv in predetermined axial position in the ring groove of ak piston by a spacer, preferably formed also of ribbon material bent to substantially circular form and having a substantially S-shaped cross-section. The spacer may be formed in one piece or may comprise two U-shaped sections positioned side by side. -Ey

forming a spacer in the manner described briefly above a pair of reservoirs are provided into which Oil scraped from the cylinder wall by the ring -members may flow. 'Ihe reservoirs are posiltioned one below the other and are lconnected 'by a passage positioned in the upper part of vthe lower reservoir and opening into the upper reservoir. As oil accumulates in the lower reservoir it overflows into the upper reservoir and then vpasses to thebottom of the ring grooveand Athence through ports provided in the piston to the hollow interior thereof.

A piston packing constructed according to my invention removes excess oil from the cylinder wall and this excess oil is stored temporarily in the reservoir in the spacer provided for that purpose. The manner in which the spacer is formed permits the piston and cylinder wall t0 be lubricated adequately to prevent excessive wear of these parts.

Having thus briey described my invention; one

vertical section taken onthe line `3 3 of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 show several arrangements in which piston packings constructed according to my` inf Vention may be assembled in the ring groove of a piston; Fig. 6 is a detailed partial plany view of a spacer showing a second embodiment of" my invention; Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line-'l-l of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows the embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7 assembled in thek ring groove of a piston; Fig. 9 is a detailed planview of a spacer showing another embodiment of my invention, andFg. 10 is a vertical section taken on the line I ll--I 0 of Fig. 9.

' Referring to the gures, and particularlyto Figs. 4, 5 and 8, a piston packing constructed ace cording to my invention comprisesa pair of split ring members i positioned adjacent to the side walls of the ring groove 2 of a piston 3, and formed preferably of ribbon material, such as steel, bent edgewise to .substantially circular form. The ring-members I are separated from each other and are maintained in predetermined axial position in the ring groove 2 by a spacersv described more fully hereinafter. The packing may include also an expander 5, as shown in Fig, 5, having passages 6 formed therein to permit oil scraped from the cylinder wall 1 by the ring members I to flow freely therethrough to the bottom of the ring groove 2, and thence through ports 8 in the piston 3 to the hollow interior thereof.

The spacer 4 preferably is formed of ribbon or sheet material, such as hard or soft steel, bronze, or other suitable material, bent to substantially -1- circular form, and having a gap 9 between the Aobject thereof is to provide a piston packing ments of my invention, and wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a spacer constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed partial plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a ends thereof. The spacer 4 shown in Figs. lto 5 inclusive is substantially S-shaped in cross'- section, and the` spacer is positioned in the ring groove between the ring members so that the lower portion thereof opens outwardly toward the cylinder wall and with the.. upper portion thereof opening inwardly toward the bottom of the ring groove. Oil passages I0 are formed in the central portion I I of the Sshaped section of the `spacer whichY joins the upper and lower por-tions of the spacer. The upper and lower portions of the spacer in eiiect form reservoirs I2 ,and I3 to receive excess oil scraped fromthe cylinder ywall by the ring members i, and the oil accumulates in the lower reservoir I2 and, when this reservoir is filled, oil overows through the passages Ill into the upper reservoir I3 and then drains to the bottom of the ring groove 2 through ports 8 in the piston to the interior thereof. The oil accumulated in the lower reservoir I2 lubricates the cylinder and the piston, and thus prevents excessive wear of these parts.

The spacer 4 described above is formed in a single piece but my invention contemplates also the use of a multiple piece spacer as shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The spacer 4 shown in this embodiment of my invention comprises a pair of substantially circular U-shaped members I4 and I5 formed preferably of sheet or ribbon material and provided with a gap between the ends thereof. As shown in Fig. 8, the U-shaped members I4 and I5 are assembled side by side in the ring groove of the piston between a pair of X thin ring members I and with the lower U-shaped member I 4 opening radially outwardly toward the cylinder wall and with the upper vU-shapedmember I5 opening radially inwardly toward the bottom of the ring groove 2 'to lform together a substantially S-shaped spacer. members I4 and I5 provide reservoirs I6 and II Vsimilar .to the reservoirs I2 and I3 described above. The reservoirs I5 and II may be connected by a series of passages I8 formed in adjacent faces I9 and 2B of the U-shaped members I4 and I5, and the passages I8 permit oil acabove, to the hollow interior of the piston. In

the embodiment of Figs. 6 and '7, the passages I8 areA in the form of circular openings 24 and 25, formed in adjacent faces I9 and 20. of the U- shaped members I4 and I5, and the openings of one member are positioned in registry with the openings of the other member. To prevent relative circumferential movement of the members I4 and I5 and to maintain the openings 24 and 25 in registry with one another a series of projections 2| may be formed on the face I9`of the lower member I4 adjacent to the upper member I5, and the face 2i) of the upper member I5 in contact with the lower member. I4 may be provided with a series of depressions 22 adapted-to receive the projections 2| on the lower 'mem'- ber I4. z In the embodiment of Figs. 9 vand 10, each 'of the members has the adjacentfaces' ISU/and 20a thereof slotted as at 26 and 2'I` to form connecting passages Ia between the members I4` and I5. The slots 26 and 21 in theimembers I4 andiI5-are of such length and are arranged in` such manner so that'the slots overlap one'another -at least throughout a portion of theirlength for any circumferential position of the U-shaped members relative to each other. Whenthe passages I8a arefl formed in this manner the .members I4-and I5 need not bepinned together,l but ytheyY prefierably may rotate l circumferentially relative to eachother. Any carbon formations which.' may accumulate` in the passages I8a are` 'quickly broken up by relative circumferentialmovement of the members 'I4 and I5, and theformations are quickly removed from the Apassages by oil flowing therethrough. Y fr 'l Af piston packing constructed according to my invention removes `excess oil from the cylinder wall and'lubricates the cylinder :andthe piston to prevent excessive wear of these parts. The vpis'- The U-shaped,V

ton packing also is simple in form, cheap to manufacture and eicient in operation.

While I have described several embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the forms and arrangements shown and described because other forms and arrangements may be used also without deviating from the scope of my invention. For instance, the packing may be assembled in the ring groove of a piston so that the ring members in engageyment with the cylinder wall are located side by side at the upper portion of the ring groove and any vdesired number of ring members may be used. The packing may or may not include an expander, depending on the conditions under which the packing is used. Also in the embodiment of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 any suitable means may be used to 'prevent circumferential movement of the U- shaped members I4 and I5 relative to each other, and the passages in the spacer in all the embodiment shownl may assume any convenient shape. In some instances it may even be found advisable to vary the cross-,sectional shape of the spacer from that shown in the drawings, and other shapes may be used so long as a reservoir to accumulate oil and lubricate the cylinder wall is provided in the spacer. In the specification land claims the word above is used to designate a direction toward the top of the piston, and the word below-is used to designate the opposite direction, that is, toward the piston skirt. y What I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is: f f l, 1. In a piston packing-a spacer formed offa pair of U-shaped members positioned one on top of the other, the lower member openingradialljr outwardly andthe upper member opening radially inwardly,anda1series of passages. joining the interior of-saidy U-shapedmembers to permitv oil to owvfromoneto theother. x y n -1 2. In a piston` packing aospacer formed .of a pair of; U-shaped members positioned one on :top ofthe other,.each 'of said members having;a series of openings located inthe faces` of said members adjacent to each other, said-openings being formed and, arranged .therein to'overlap for anyrcircumferential position of said U-shaped membersv relative Ato rveach other to permitaoil to flow from the interior of one member to the other. l3. 4 In a piston packing a spacer of'substantially circular form havingaA substantially S-shaped cross-section, said spacer being positioned in the ring groove of a piston with the lower yportion thereof; openingfoutwardly `and with'thezup'per portionv thereof opening inwardly, and oil passages formedv the'centrallportionof the'Se shaped section of said spacer. i v i v4.. A piston packingfor usein the `ring groove of a piston and comprising a pairzof ring members-adapted to contact the cylinder wall, a spacer ofl substantially circular'form position-ed to main.- tain saidv` members in predetermined axial posi'- tion in said groove. saidspacer'having a' substantially S-shaped cross-section'and having ollpasL- sages formed-in the central portion ofthe S- shaped section of saidspacer. y lDALLAS M. SMITHLH. 

